Author Archive for Cynthia Prairie
Cynthia Prairie has been a newspaper editor more than 40 years. Cynthia has worked at such publications as the Raleigh Times, the Baltimore News American, the Buffalo Courier Express, the Chicago Sun-Times and the Patuxent Publishing chain of community newspapers in Maryland, and has won numerous state awards for her reporting. As an editor, she has overseen her staffs to win many awards for indepth coverage. She and her family moved to Chester, Vermont in 2004.
Turner wins Grafton Select Board seat; opponent Dougall hospitalized before polls open
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Grafton voters went to the polls today and elected John Turner to a Select Board seat left vacant by the resignation of Gus Plummer. But the voting developed an unexpectedly sad tone just before the polls closed this evening as word got out that candidate Don Dougall had […]
Grafton board hopefuls offer two views of government, wind project
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC In what was promising to be a stormy Thursday night – at least outside – about 75 people gathered at the White Church in Grafton to hear from two candidates who hope to be elected to fill the unexpired term left by Gus Plummer’s resignation in mid-May. That […]
Editorial: Ill winds in Grafton and no end in sight
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Grafton may have already lost. Even before the voters cast one ballot on the Iberdrola wind project, the town is torn apart. Incivility reigns. All it took was the prospect of this industrial wind project for community members to lose sight of the characteristics that have made Grafton […]
No More Pencils: GMUHS graduates the Class of 2016
Fifty-seven seniors graduated from Green Mountain Union High School on Friday, June 17, as staff and students said farewell to Fritz Wendlandt, long-time music teacher, band director and musical theater impresario. This was also the end of supervisory union Superintendent Bruce Williams’ tenure. Salutatorian Robert Haseltine and Valedictorian Sarah Baker spoke as did English teacher […]
UPDATE: Response from Iberdrola;
Citing site concerns, Windham Select Board asks Iberdrola to suspend wind project
UPDATE: Below is the full text of the response received from Iberdrola on Wednesday night By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Select Board of the Town of Windham voted 2 to 1 at its Monday night meeting to send a letter to Iberdrola Renewables asking the Spanish wind turbine company “to suspend your […]
Grafton Select Board meeting for June 20, 2016
The Grafton Select Board will meet at Grafton Elementary School, 58 School St. at 6 p.m. Monday, June 20, 2016. Below is its agenda. 1. Public Comment 2. Adopt Agenda 3. Minutes: June 6, 2016 4. Warrants: Accounts Payable and Payroll 5. Highway Report: 6. Sullivan, Powers, & Co. Audit Proposal 7. Signature for Cemetery […]
Chester Police log for June: March 24 – May 12, 2016
© 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Editor’s Note: The Chester Telegraph Police Log is a sampling of incidents directly from Chester Police reports. In general, we do not identify individual victims of crimes nor those who have been arrested. Tuesday, March 24 Allen Brothers Oil sought police assistance in recovering money from a debit card purchase […]
Grafton town attorney sees ‘no violations’ in Sands’ meeting; suggests use of Iberdrola-funded escrow account
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Grafton town attorney Robin Stern, in an email to Town Administrator Emily Huff and copied to Select Board chair Al Sands and Town Clerk Kim Record, says that she has found no violation of the Grafton Code of Conduct on Sands’ part in meeting with Iberdrola Renewables and […]
In an agreeable meeting, Grafton board sets election date, foregoes bid process on winter sand
By Cynthia Prairie ©Telegraph Publishing LLC Monday’s Grafton Select Board meeting was a quiet and quick affair. With only three of four board members present — chair Al Sands was away — vice chair Skip Lisle moved through the long agenda relatively quickly. It would likely have been a longer meeting if, as suggested by […]
Sands may have violated Grafton Code of Conduct in meeting Iberdrola
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Grafton Select Board chair Al Sands may have violated the town’s two-year-old Code of Ethics by meeting with representatives of international wind industry company Iberdrola Renewables. That possibility was brought up on Thursday, May 26, at Town Hall, during a special Select Board meeting held for the purpose […]
Improper warning forces rescheduling of Grafton special meeting; Sands questioned on meeting with Iberdrola
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC What was supposed to be a special meeting of the Grafton Select Board to begin — and maybe even fill — the vacancy left when Gus Plummer resigned exactly one week previous turned into an informal session in which new Town Administrator Emily Huff plead mea culpa for […]
Attorney lays out blueprint for Grafton in wind project talks
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC ON THE COVER: Attorney Richard Saudek, center, speaks as he is flanked by Select Board members, from left, Skip Lisle, Cynthia Gibbs, Al Sands and Ron Pilette. After a rocky start that began with the announced resignation and departure of Select Board chair Gus Plummer, the Grafton Select […]
After threat, Grafton S.B. chair to resign over safety concern
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC ON THE COVER: Gus Plummer is flanked by fellow board members Cynthia Gibbs, left, and Alan Sands. Through a quavering voice, Grafton Select Board chair Gus Plummer told an audience of 60 Monday night that he had received a note that so upset him – especially when it […]
SAPA-TV airs new shows, seeks community participation;
Chester hosts July events during 250th celebration;
Prevention Partners targets parents for prom season safety;
Hearing Loss organization sets up website for Vermonters
SAPA-TV urges community to participate in two new shows SAPA TV, the Springfield area’s public access TV station, invites the community to join in on its two new regular programs, “Tuesday Talk of the Town” and “Ask Nymar the Uncharitable.” “Tuesday Talk of the Town” is a half-hour live talk show that runs each Tuesday […]
Workshop addresses childhood trauma’s impact on work;
Yarn shop holds moving sale, invites all to sell;
Businesses participate in Sticker Shock program;
New Chester brochure available
Free program looks at childhood trauma-worklife issues The River Valley Workforce Investment Board and Springfield Regional Development Corp. are co-sponsoring an informational workshop from 8 to 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 25 at the Holiday Inn Express in Springfield. The topic will be Adverse Childhood Experiences and the impact on the workforce for businesses in […]
AN EDUCATION: How trans kids, allies triggered policy change
By Cynthia Prairie 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC ON THE COVER: GMUHS Principal Tom Ferenc holds one of the ‘Gender-Neutral’ signs replaced by ‘Restroom.’ The issue was resolved almost as quickly as it arose, when Two Rivers Supervisory Union Superintendent Bruce Williams announced at the Green Mountain Union High School board meeting Thursday night that “any […]
HIGH IN FIBER: Six Loose Ladies yarn shop to move to Chester
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC By July 1, Six Loose Ladies, the Proctorsville yarn shop with the unusual name, should be settled into its new home in Chester, at 287 Main St., between the Southern Pie Co. and Country Treasures quilting shop. The peach-colored building — which might not stay that color for […]
Chester Police log for May: April 9 to May 3, 2016
© 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Editor’s Note: The Chester Telegraph Police Log is a sampling of incidents directly from Chester Police reports. In general, we do not identify individual victims of crimes nor those who have been arrested. Saturday, April 9, 10:28 a.m. A resident of Popple Dungeon Road called to complain that her ex-husband […]
Grafton board opts to make all VLCT correspondence public
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC In what may have been a most surprising and quick boost to transparency in local government, a three-person quorum of the Grafton Select Board on Monday night unanimously agreed that correspondence between board members and the Vermont League of Cities and Towns be open to public inspection. The […]
Webster’s House manager charged with animal cruelty
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Mary Donaldson and Jessica “Remy” Fecteau have been ordered to appear in Windsor Superior Court on Tuesday, May 24 following a three-month investigation into their practices and treatment of animals at Webster House’s cat shelter in Chester, according to a press release from the Chester Police Department. Donaldson […]
